smoke

the visible vapor and gases given off by a burning or smoldering substance, especially the gray, brown, or blackish mixture of gases and suspended carbon particles resulting from the combustion of wood, peat, coal, or other organic matter.

The more usual noun was Old English smec, which became dialectal smeech. Abusive meaning "black person" attested from 1913, American English. Smoke-eater "firefighter" is c.1930. Figurative phrase go up in smoke "be destroyed" (as if by fire) is from 1933. Smoke alarm first attested 1936; smoke-detector from 1957.

smoke

v.

Old English smocian "to produce smoke, emit smoke," especially as a result of burning, from smoke (n.1). Meaning "to drive out or away or into the open by means of smoke" is attested from 1590s. Meaning "to apply smoke to, to cure (bacon, fish, etc.) by exposure to smoke" is first attested 1590s. In connection with tobacco, "draw fumes from burning into the mouth," first recorded 1604 in James I's "Counterblast to Tobacco." Related: Smoked; smoking. Smoking gun in figurative sense of "incontestable evidence" is from 1974.

smoke

n.2

"cigarette," slang, 1882, from smoke (n.1). Also "opium" (1884). Meaning "a spell of smoking tobacco" is recorded from 1835.

To be executed in a gas chamber: still faced death and might one day be smoked(1970s+ Underworld and police)

: pitchers are supposed to be cranked up and smoking

To be very angry; burn, steam: He was smoking for about an hour after she called him that(1548+)

(also smoke off) To defeat utterly; trounce; clobber: He didn't simply beat Carl Lewis. He smoked him/ The dreaded Bostons came to town, and the Brewers smoked 'em on opening day/ For a time we ''smoked off'' our rivals(1980s+)

To hit very hard; clobber: ''Just let me take my jacket off,'' and bang, the guy from Chicago smokes him/ Alomar smoked a single to left(1980s+)

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.Cite This Source

Idioms and Phrases with smoke out

smoke out

Expose, reveal, bring to public view, as in Reporters thrive on smoking out a scandal. This expression alludes to driving a person or animal out of a hiding place by filling it with smoke.
[ Late 1500s
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